28 Week Check-Up: I went to the high-risk doctor two weeks ago and my regular OB the next day. We received a great report! The echogenic foci (ECF) on their hearts has faded slightly and I was encouraged to hear that the right ventricle ECF is a very unlikely location for the type found in babies with chromosomal abnormalities. They said that it's still really hard to know about the club foot. We probably won't know definitively until birth, which is fine with us! The difference in their sizes has increased to 17%. They want it to stay under 20%. This is the only thing the doctors are concerned about at this point. I'll go back in two weeks to have an ultrasound and check on the babies again.
Now I'm 30 weeks. Tomorrow I will have a checkup with my regular OB. Will update after tomorrow's visit. I will likely have frequent non-stress tests and biophysical profiles in the coming weeks.
I've started washing baby clothes. Luckily I saved most of George's things. I also have been having Braxton Hicks just about every evening. Babies will be here so soon!!!
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
...And Twins Make Six!
I don't know how often I'll be able to post, but I'm hoping to chronicle this somewhat bumpy journey to meeting our precious (identical!) twin boys.
I'm currently 27 weeks pregnant with "mono-di" twins. This basically means that they are sharing one placenta and are in two separate amniotic sacs. No, we have no known family history of twins. Side note, did you know that identical twins tend to be spontaneous and fraternal twins are hereditary or a product of fertility treatment? Also, only the mother's genes are relevant in heredity. I never once imagined myself as a mama of mulitiples!
So here we are. I'm going to the doctor every three weeks and am having ultrasounds just as frequently. I started seeing a high risk specialist from the Univ. of Chicago two weeks ago. The doctors want to monitor the twins' sizes since they're sharing a placenta. They say it's like two babies sharing a plate of food--we don't want one to receive more than the other. The difference or discordance needs to be less than 20% and at this point it's 15%. I'm so grateful that their bodies are developing beautifully so far--no life-threatening concerns at this point. However, they did find that Twin A potentially has a club foot. Or his foot was at a weird angle when they scanned him. We should know more at the next ultrasound. This is easily corrected after birth even if he does have it. Additionally, they both have something called an echogenic cardiac focus (ECF) which is basically a bright spot on their hearts. It is not a defect or a health hazard, but can be an indicator for chromosomal abnormalities i.e. down syndrome. It's what they call a "soft" indicator and it is the only indicator they're positive for. ECF is common and can simply be a harmless mineralization or calcification that will disappear as the pregnancy progresses. All the same, they had me meet with a genetic counselor to chat about our odds for genetic disorders. Our odds are 1/950 at this point based on my age and the fact that there were no other indicators.
My next appointment/ultrasound is Sept. 9. While odds are very likely that the twins are just fine, I find myself worrying about all of the possible outcomes. The verse that has brought me the most comfort is Psalm 112:7 "He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord."
I'm currently 27 weeks pregnant with "mono-di" twins. This basically means that they are sharing one placenta and are in two separate amniotic sacs. No, we have no known family history of twins. Side note, did you know that identical twins tend to be spontaneous and fraternal twins are hereditary or a product of fertility treatment? Also, only the mother's genes are relevant in heredity. I never once imagined myself as a mama of mulitiples!
So here we are. I'm going to the doctor every three weeks and am having ultrasounds just as frequently. I started seeing a high risk specialist from the Univ. of Chicago two weeks ago. The doctors want to monitor the twins' sizes since they're sharing a placenta. They say it's like two babies sharing a plate of food--we don't want one to receive more than the other. The difference or discordance needs to be less than 20% and at this point it's 15%. I'm so grateful that their bodies are developing beautifully so far--no life-threatening concerns at this point. However, they did find that Twin A potentially has a club foot. Or his foot was at a weird angle when they scanned him. We should know more at the next ultrasound. This is easily corrected after birth even if he does have it. Additionally, they both have something called an echogenic cardiac focus (ECF) which is basically a bright spot on their hearts. It is not a defect or a health hazard, but can be an indicator for chromosomal abnormalities i.e. down syndrome. It's what they call a "soft" indicator and it is the only indicator they're positive for. ECF is common and can simply be a harmless mineralization or calcification that will disappear as the pregnancy progresses. All the same, they had me meet with a genetic counselor to chat about our odds for genetic disorders. Our odds are 1/950 at this point based on my age and the fact that there were no other indicators.
My next appointment/ultrasound is Sept. 9. While odds are very likely that the twins are just fine, I find myself worrying about all of the possible outcomes. The verse that has brought me the most comfort is Psalm 112:7 "He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord."
Twin A
Twin B
***
In other news, our fall is off to a swift start! David started teaching last week and is staying super busy. I'm starting home-preschool with George in addition to a few other activities he's participating in (i.e. science class, AWANA, soccer, MOPS, etc.). Gemma is really taking off physically and verbally. She is just so much fun! She is OBSESSED with Mary Poppins, even though she doesn't watch it often. She usually asks for it first thing in the morning when she wakes up. Here's a precious video of them singing their favorite song from church.
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